1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a communication control device and method for a television receiver which can perform communication tasks such as computer communication, facsimile transmission and reception utilizing the television receiver. More particularly, the present invention relates to a communication control device and method for a television receiver which enables the use of commercial computer communication services and facsimile transmission/reception by employing a modem (modulator-demodulator), a television image processing unit and a communication image processing unit.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventionally, computer communication or facsimile transmission/reception can be performed by its own dedicated machine. For instance, computer communication has been performed by a personal computer, while facsimile transmission/reception has been performed by a facsimile machine.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a conventional personal computer having a computer communication function. Referring to FIG. 1, the conventional personal computer is provided with a modem 1 for transmitting/receiving data through a telephone line, a computer 2 for processing and storing the data transmitted/received from the modem 1, and a monitor 3 for displaying the data processed by the computer 2.
The operation of the conventional personal computer as constructed above will now be explained.
If a user connects the computer 2 to a data base of a communication service via the modem 1 to enjoy the communication service, various pieces of information stored in the data base are inputted to the computer 2. The computer 2 processes and displays the input information on the monitor 3 for the user's recognition.
Consequently, at a minimum, a personal computer and a dedicated terminal device as well as an equipment for using the communication service are required to enjoy the communication service.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a conventional facsimile machine. Referring to FIG. 2, the conventional facsimile machine comprises an image input section 111 for photoelectrically reading an original document to be transmitted and outputting the result in the form of digital image data, an image processing section 112 for processing the image data from the image input section 111, a memory 113 for storing the data processed by the image processing section 112 or restored data in the following stage, a data compression/decompression section 115 for compressing the transmitted data stored in the memory 113 and decompressing received data, a modem 116 for transmitting/receiving compressed data through a telephone line, an image output section 114 for reading out the received data stored in the memory 113 and outputting the read-out data for printing, and a processor 117 for controlling the operation of each section to perform facsimile transmission/reception.
The operation of the conventional facsimile machine as constructed above will be explained.
If a user inputs a document to be transmitted to the image input section 111, the section 111 photoelectrically reads the document and outputs the result in the form of digital image data to the image processing section 112, allowing the image processing section 112 to store the image data in the memory 113. The data compression/decompression section 115 compresses the data stored in the memory 113 for transmission and outputs the compressed data to the modem 116. The modem 116 then transmits the data to another facsimile machine through the telephone line.
If the transmitted data is received to the modem 116 of another facsimile machine, the modem 116 outputs the received data to the data compression/decompression section 115. The data compression/decompression section 115 decompresses the received data to restore the received data to the original data and stores the decompressed data in the memory 113. Thereafter, the image output section 114 reads out the decompressed data from the memory 113, and prints the read-out data on paper.
The conventional facsimile machine, however, has a drawback in that the user cannot see the contents of the received image data through a screen since the function of the facsimile machine is limited to transmission/reception of a document.